Making the right trades can define your fantasy football season. Knowing when to buy low on an underperforming player or sell high after a big week is a crucial skill.
This week’s list includes a struggling young quarterback with upside and a rookie with a surprising debut. Identifying the right players to target or trade away can give your team the edge it needs to win.
Top Trade Targets To Buy: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams’s rookie year was nothing short of a disaster, but the young quarterback flashed the enticing ability that saw him drafted first in 2024. To start his second year, Williams has continued to be inconsistent.
The Chicago Bears star has recorded two top-10 fantasy weeks in the opening weeks, but finished 20th in Week 2 and was the QB20 heading into Sunday Night Football in Week 4.
MORE: Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
But while it may not be Williams’s rookie season, playing in a Ben Johnson offense is an entirely different experience from the one he had in Year 1. Johnson’s offense has many details and intricacies, and progress may be slower than many hoped.
However, the Bears have a bye in Week 5, which should allow Johnson to iron out some of the issues he’s seen in the early weeks of the season. Consistency will be the key for Williams, and that should come with continued coaching from one of the league’s best offensive minds.
Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
Time might be running out for Joe Flacco with the Cleveland Browns. Flacco was phenomenal for the Browns in 2023 but has been ineffective in leading the team’s offense this season.
Kevin Stefanski has had a harder time than most protecting his rookie quarterbacks, and there has been a demand to see Shedeur Sanders in action. The head coach would no doubt like to stick with Flacco for as long as possible, but the veteran’s poor play may force his hand sooner than planned.
Despite the clamor for Sanders, Dillon Gabriel is the team’s QB2 and will get the first shot should the Browns decide to freshen things up. There won’t be a rush to add Gabriel in one-quarterback leagues, but he’ll be picked up in Super Flex should he be named the starter.
I was higher than most on Gabriel heading into the draft, though admittedly, I would have preferred for him to land on a different team and in a different division. However, the former Oregon star is a capable passer with rushing potential and has shown he can put a team on his back when needed.
It could be another few weeks, but it’s unlikely too long before Gabriel starts, so stashing him now wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Top Trade Targets To Sell: Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Sell-highs never feel good, but Jaxson Dart did his value a world of good in his first-ever NFL start. The New York Giants quarterback completed 13 of 20 attempts for 111 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 54 yards and another score.
His poise and leadership earned the Giants an unlikely win against the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers, and the vibes couldn’t be better. That will make cashing in on Dart difficult, but it’s unlikely to continue as smoothly for the rookie moving forward.
Dart will make mistakes; all rookies do, and he will likely be without his top receiving weapon for the rest of the season. Second-year receiver Malik Nabers is believed to have torn his ACL in the win over the Chargers.
Dart is an exciting dual-threat quarterback who will attract plenty of interest in fantasy, given the amount of quarterback injuries that have already affected the NFL this year. Unless you are short at the position, cashing in for a position of need makes sense while his value is high.
Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings
Carson Wentz is less of a sell-high and more of a sell-while-you-can. The Minnesota Vikings’ stand-in has produced solid numbers in fantasy, notably his 23.2 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4.
No one will part with significant compensation for the veteran journeyman, but injuries and bye weeks could see him fetch a minimal fee. J.J. McCarthy is expected to be out until after the team’s bye week (week six), but some expect Wentz to keep the job if he performs.
READ MORE: Fantasy Football Buy Low, Sell High in Week 5: Trade Targets Include Caleb Williams, Trey Benson, and Jameson Williams
However, with McCarthy having already missed a year through injury, it’s unlikely he continues to be sidelined when healthy. The team took a big swing by allowing Sam Darnold to leave in the offseason, and benching McCarthy would send the wrong message.
You won’t get much in a trade, but if you have other options at quarterback, even some FAAB will likely be more helpful down the line than Wentz.